ARTICLES ABOUT EASTON MAN BY DATE - PAGE 4

After admitting to drug charges in 2010, an Easton man fought hard to get his guilty plea thrown out, arguing he was given bad legal advice. Michael A. Barndt got his wish last year, persuading an appellate court that his defense lawyer had ineffectively represented him. But facing the prospect of a trial on the original charges, and a heftier sentence if he was convicted, the 42-year-old Barndt had a change on heart on Monday — agreeing to...

A 34-year-old Easton man was arrested Saturday on charges that he sexually assaulted a girl over the course of several years, city police said. Michael Sebring of Washington Street was taken into custody after police issued an arrest warrant for him. Police have charged him with 196 offenses, including rape, rape of a child, statutory sexual assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child. Police did not indicate the girl's age. Sebring was arraigned Saturday and taken to Lehigh County Prison under $500,000 bail.

A "traffic altercation" between motorists in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon continued into Pennsylvania, where one of the drivers rammed his car into the other, injuring the second driver's leg, police said. Alexander M. Patullo, 42, of Hampton, N.J., is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment, state police in Belfast said. He was sent to Northampton County Prison under $20,000 bail by District Judge Joseph Barner. Police said Patullo and a 29-year-old Easton driver were arguing in the westbound lane of the Northampton Street Bridge, known as the free bridge, about 3:30 p.m. when the dispute escalated.

A "traffic altercation" between motorists in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon continued into Pennsylvania, where one of the drivers rammed his car into the other, injuring the second driver's leg, police said. State police at Belfast are asking for the public's help in finding the angry driver of a white, newer-model Volkswagen Jetta with a New Jersey plate and the name of a power-washing business written on the side. They say that driver and a 29-year-old Easton man were arguing in the westbound lane of the free bridge about 3:30 p.m. when the incident escalated.

An Easton man who shared child pornography over the Internet pleaded guilty Thursday in Northampton County Court to a raft of felony charges. Jeremiah D. Mason, 27, admitted to two counts of distributing child porn, 10 counts of possessing it and one count of a criminal use of a communication device under a plea bargain before Judge Anthony Beltrami. In October, the state attorney general's office announced charges against Mason after an investigation into the sharing of child porn files, some of which was done by him, according to court records.

Though his alleged victim remembers nothing about being attacked, a 22-year-old Easton man faces an attempted homicide trial. District Judge Richard Yetter ruled enough evidence exists to try Sean West on charges of attempted homicide and aggravated assault in a stabbing that Easton police say occurred Sept. 19 at the intersection of Ferry and Cherry streets in the West Ward. The victim, Roger Boyd, said he was hanging out with West on Sept. 18 and into the next day. He testified Friday at West's preliminary hearing that the two men drank beer and walked around the West Ward.

The Lehigh County coroner's office is looking for relatives of an Easton man who died Tuesday in Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Harry M. McBride, 55, of North Locust Street died of natural causes, the coroner's office said. Information on McBride's family can be reported to the coroner's office at 610-782-3426. — Frank Warner

An Easton man who committed a dozen burglaries with a friend last year at Lehigh Valley convenience stores — netting more than $40,000 in stolen cigarettes, lottery tickets and cash — fared much better Thursday than his co-defendant. While Edward J. Medelo, 37, is serving a sentence of 14 to 28 years for his role in the burglary, Derek Deutsch was told Thursday he won't face additional time. Deutsch, 38, was sentenced to time served by Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg.

A 25-year-old Easton man nearly drove through a McDonald's restaurant with a rented pickup truck Wednesday morning. John I. Jones was taken into custody for blood testing following the 6 a.m. accident in the parking lot of the McDonald's restaurant at S. Third Street and Larry Holmes Drive, Easton police said. A 57-year-old male customer in the restaurant was treated for wrist and leg pain, police said. Jones had been driving a U-Haul pickup truck and backed into the restaurant just beyond the drive-through window, damaging the exterior wall and a window.

An Easton man argued with his ex-girlfriend and threatened to kill her on Christmas night before he dragged her into his house and forced her to stay for a short time, police said. Charles D. Wynn, 36, was getting a ride on Route 22 from Waverly E. Eckhart, 26, of Nazareth at 7 p.m. Wednesday when the argument began, state police at Bethlehem said. Wynn made the death threat and, when Eckhart dropped him off at his Elm Street home, he grabbed her before she could get back into her car and took her in a headlock into his house, police said.